Draw-bar-attaching means.



No. 634,2l9. Patented Oct. 3, I899. H. H. SESSIONS.

DRAW-BAR ATTAGHING MEANS.

(Apphcahon filed Kay 18 1899) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 634,219. Patented Oct. 3, I899.

H. H. SESSIUNS. DRAW BAR ATTAGHING MEANS.

(Application filed May 13, 1899.) (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT CTFTQE.

HENRY H. SESSIONS, CHICAGO, ILLINOISQ DRAW- BAR-ATTAC H l N G M EAN S SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,219, dated October 3, 1899.

Application filed May 18,1899. Serial No. 717,269. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, HENRY H. SEssIoNs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Draw-Bar-Attaching Means, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to improved means for confining laterally the free or draw-head end of the draw-bars of cars.

My object is to provide a construction wherein a spring of greater length than has heretofore been practicable may be utilized for dissipating lateral shocks upon the drawbar.

A further object is to provide improved means for readily shifting the channel or guides for the free end of the bar to permit the use of diiferent types of knuckles or swinging jaws at the draw-head.

It is well understood that in changing from the Janney to the Miller type of knuckle it is necessary to shift the free end of the drawbar laterally several inches from its original position near the longitudinal center line of the car to permit coupling and uncoupling. This movement is readily permitted by my improved construction.

In the improved construction I provide, preferably, an adjustableyielding stop-plate provided witha channel closely engaging the draw-bar and itself detachably engaged by means for transmitting force to thelaterallyextending spring-coil employed and preferably also in combination therewith an adj ustable non-yieldin g or dead draw-bar stop, sufficient clearance being allowed in the case of the non-yielding stop to permit the desired lateral movement of the draw-bar.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l-is a broken vertical longitudinal section of the substructure of a car-body and the steel supporting structure therefor equipped with my improvements, the section being taken as indicated at line 1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2, aplan view of the steel'structure and showing also my improvements connected with the draftbeams of said structure; Fig. 3, an enlarged transverse vertical section taken as indicated at line 3of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a front end View of the steel structure and my equipments, certain parts being omitted; Fig. 5, a plan view of the shiftable spring-held stop-plate and its supports; Fig. 6, a broken section taken at line 6 of Fig. 4; and Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 details of the connecting means between said stop-plate and the spring for yieldingly holding said plate.

A A A A represent the longitudinal members of the steel structure; B, a longitudinal sill of the car-body; C, an end sill; D, a buffer-beam; E, an angle-bar secured to the buffer-beam and to the members A A, &c.; F, a front stirrup-plate G G, draw-bar draftspring pockets; H, a buffer-plate, and I a draw-bar, all of which parts are now of a wellunderstood construction. The rear end of the draw-bar may be pivotally connected in the usual manner to the spring-held clevis connected withthe follower-plates moving in the draw-bar draftspring pockets or guides G G. The drawhead end of the draw-bar isallowed lateral movement under spring tension, and my improvements relate to the means for confining said draw-head end.

J represents a horizontally-disposed transversely extending yielding stop plate provid ed on its under surface withlugs a, affording a close-fitting channel for the draw-bar and supported by and moving in guides J, attached at points I), as by means of rivets, to the beams A and A Above the plate J and secured to the draft-beams A A is a shaft or bolt K, about which is a coiled spring K, whose ends fit into similar sockets or spring-engaging shells K K movable on the rod K and provided attheir outer ends with internal shoulders c andat their inner ends with external lugs c, Fig. 8. These springsockets K K fit into an external shell L, shown cut away at d and provided internally with horizontally-arranged longitudinal slots d, arched grooves (1 and vertically-arranged recesses dipermitting insertion of the parts K K and a turning movement to cause the lugs c to register with the recesses d into which they lockingly fit. The shell L is provided at its rear lower portion with a flange f, having two forward-proje ctinglugs f, andis further provided at its upper portion with an arm or lug g. The lugs f serve to detachably secure the shell L to the rear portion of the plate J, where said lugs enter two of three recesses h h Win said plate, as shown in Fig. 5. An operating-rod M, pivotally secured at its rear end to the lug g and provided with a shoulder 75, between which and a guidebracket on the beam A is confined a spring 7.1 serves to rotate the shell L against the action of said spring and disconnect the shell from the plate J. It will be observed that any lateral shock on the draw-bar in either direction will be transmitted to and cushioned by the single relatively long spring K.

\Vhen the yielding stop-plate J' is in the position shown in Figs. and 6, the lugs f of the shell L engage the notches h h of the plate. This corresponds to the position of the draw-bar for the Janney type of coupler. When it is desired to shift the front end of the draw-bar to permit the use of the Miller type of coupler, the rod M is pulled against its spring to rotate the shell L and disengage the lugs f from the notches h 71 when the plate J may be moved readily in its guides till the notches 7L h register with the lugs f, and upon releasing the rod M the lugs enter said notches and lock the shell to the plate in its new position. Either of the innerspringsockets remain stationary while the other is being moved by the shell L to compress the spring, as will be readily understood.

In front of the yielding stop-plate is an adjustable non-yielding or dead stop N, Figs. i and (3, in the form of a yoke having upturned ends Z Z for limiting the movement of the draw-bar and having a channeled under side which fits on the horizontal part of a transversely extending depending bracket N, secured at its ends by bolts m m to stationary parts of the frame. The bracket N is provided with two horizontal perforations (indicated at n n, Fig. 4) and the yoke N with one perforation, (indicated at a.) A pin N Fig. 6, serves to firmly fix the yoke to the bracket at either position desired.

In the position shown in Fig. 4 the nonyielding stop is set for the Janney position of the draw-bar, and a clearance of about one and three-fourths inches is allowed on each side of the bar at the spaces indicated by a; and a3. \Vhen moved to the Miller position, a clearance of two and one-half inches is required at :0, while the clearance at a; may be reduced, if desired, to nothing, it being well understood that with the Miller coupler there is a thrust in only one lateral direction from one draw-head to the other. The increased clearance at w is of course required in the Miller construction to permit movement of the draw-bar in coupling or uncoupling. Accordingly the perforation at it is located a suifieient distance from the perforation at n to permit the stop N to be moved over relatively farther than theplateJ is moved, thereby to aiford the increased clearance.

From the above description it appears that the parts I K are movable spring-engaging shells or sockets for the lateral draw-bar spring K, that one or the other of said sockets (according to direction of strain) is moved to compress the spring by movement of the shell L, which forms the connecting and disconnecting link between said sockets and the yielding stop-plate, and, finally, that both the yielding stop-plate and the non-yielding stop-plate are readily adjustable or shiftablc to allow shifting of the draw-bar from its position with one type of coupler to its position with another type. From a view of Fig. 6 it will be perceived that the tendency of the operating-rod spring Wis to hold the shell Linterlockingly connected with the plate J, and the spring is of course of sufficient strength to prevent accidental unlocking. The lugs Z l of the non-yielding stop are of course in such position as to engage the draw-bar while the spring K is still under safe stressthat is, before the danger -point of breaking is reached in the compression of the spring.

Changes in details of construction within the spirit of my invention may be made. Hence I desire it understood that no limitation is intended by the particular description given, except as shall appear from the appended claims.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a car, the combination with the draft beams and a suitably-attached draw-bar, of means for confining said bar-laterally toward its free end, comprisingalaterally-extending coil-spring, a yielding stop-plate, and means connecting said stop-plate with both ends of said spring capable of transmitting force to the spring at one of its ends when the stopplate is moved in one direction and at its opposite end when the stop-plate is moved in the opposite direction to its first movement, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a car, the combination with the draftbeams, and a draw-bar suitably attached at one of its ends of means for confining said draw-bar laterally toward its free end, comprising a spring, movable spring-sockets or the like, for confining said spring, and means in engagement with the draw-bar and connectcd with said movable sockets to compress the spring, according to the direction of pressure at the bar, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a car, the combination with the draftbeams, and a suitably-attached draw-bar, of means for confining said bar laterally toward its free end, comprising a yielding stop-plate, a spring, connecting means between the yielding stop-plate and spring, and a non-yielding stop-plate connected with the frame provided with a lug or the like in such position as to normally engage said draw-bar while said spring is under a safe stress, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

a. In a car, the combination with the draftbeams, and a suitably-attached draw-bar, of means for confining said bar laterally toward its free end, comprising a yielding stop-plate, a spring, connecting means between the yielding stop-plate and. spring, and a non-yielding stop-plate connected with the frame provided with a projection on each side of the drawbar allowing limited move'mentonly in either direction, and serving normally to engage said draw-bar in its lateral movement while said spring is under safe stress substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a car, the combination with the draftbeams, and a suitably-attached draw-bar, of means for confining said bar laterally toward its free end, comprising a yielding stop-plate, a spring, spring-engaging means, connecting and disconnecting means between said yielding stop plate and said spring-engaging means, permitting'a shifting of said plate with relation to said spring,and an adjustable nonyielding stop connected with said draft-beams, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a car, the combination with the draftbeams, and a suitably-attached draw-bar, of means for confining said bar laterally toward its free end, comprising a yielding stop-plate, a spring, movable spring-sockets for the two ends of said spring, and pressure-transmission means connected with said sockets and adjustably connected with said plate, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a car, the combination with the draftbeams, and a suitably-attached draw-bar, of means for confining said bar laterally toward its free end, comprising a'yielding stop-plate, a spring, movable spring-sockets for the two ends of said spring, a shell connected with said spring-sockets and movable with relation to either socket in one direction andengaging the same socket .to move it in the opposite direction and means for adj ustably connecting said shell to said plate to permit shifting of the latter with relation to the shell, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a car, the combination with the draftbeams, and a suitably-attached draw-bar, of means for confining said bar laterally toward its free end, comprising a yielding stop-plate, a spring, movable spring-sockets for the two ends of said spring, a shell connected with said spring-sockets and movable with relation to either socket in one direction and engaging the same socket to move it in the opposite direction, lugs and recesses on shell and plate affording detachable connection, means for rotating said shell, and means for holding the shell in the position of interlocking connection with said plate, substantially'as and for the purpose set forth.

' 9. In a car, the combination with draftbeams and suitably-attached draw-bar, of lateral confining means, comprising a yielding stop-plate, a transversely-extending bolt, a coil-spring thereon, relatively short springsockets on said bolt, an external connectingshell engaging said sockets, lugs and recesses on shell and sockets, wh'erebya movement of the shell carries with it the spring-socket opposite that end of the spring toward which the shell is moving, lugs and recesses on said shell and plate forming an interlocking engagement, and a spring and an operatingrod for holding the shell and plate in engagement and for disconnecting said parts at will, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

10. In a car, the combination with the draftbeams and a suitably-attached draw-bar, of a spring, an adjustable yielding stop-plate connected with said spring, and an adjustable non-yielding stop-plate provided with stops affording a clearance at one side, at least, of the draw-bar, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

11. In a car, the combination with the draftbeams and a suitably-attached draw-bar, of a spring, an adjustable yielding stop-plate connected with said spring, a stop-supporting bracket N supported from the draft-beams, and an adjustable non-yielding stop N fixed thereto, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

HENRY H. SESSIONS.

In presence of D. W. LEE, R. T. SPENCER. 

